Prof. Dr. Volker Kronenberg questions the consistency of the federal government’s policies: there is a world of difference between Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil’s speech on reform and Labor Minister Bärbel Bas’s speech at the DGB. This is puzzling, given that the coalition agreement with the CDU/CSU included a commitment to making working hours more flexible. Given these differences between the Union and the SPD, it is unlikely that reforms will be implemented anytime soon. This could also have a negative impact on the coalition partners’ election results in the upcoming state elections.
Prof. Dr. Volker Kronenberg also commented on Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s speech at the DGB: Essentially, there is agreement on the economic challenges and the associated need for reform. However, the reactions to the chancellor’s speech show that there is enormous skepticism and disagreement within the SPD. Combined with the centrifugal forces within the Union, this makes reforms difficult